Article of furniture formed from paperboard

ABSTRACT

An article of furniture is formed from suitably scored and cut blanks of paperboard. The article has a main tubular portion the ends whereof are closed by separate end closure panels. Foldable flaps are hinged to the edges of the tubular structure and the closure panels. The flaps of the closure panels are releasably attached to the flaps of the tubular portion to complete the article.

[ Feb. 8, 1972 United, States Patent Dosi [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [54] ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FORMED FROM PAPERBOARD [72] Inventor: Giovanni E. Dosi, Merate, Italy Smlth ----297/4 2 X Assignee: Container Corporation of America, 2,940,513 6/1960 Holden..................................297/442 Chicago, Ill

Primary ExaminerJames C. Mitchell [22] Filed: July 1, 1970 Attomey-Carpenter, Ostis & Lindberg [21] Appl. No.: 51,652

ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data An article of furniture is formed from suitably scored and cut July 17, 1969 A/69 the ends whereof are closed by separate end closure panels. Foldable flaps are hinged to the edges of the tubular structure .297/440 ..............A47c 7/00 and the closure panels. The flaps of the closure panels are [58] FieldofSearch..................................297/440,442, 451 releasably attached to the flaps of the tubular portion to complete the article.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ARTICLE OF FURNITURE FORMED FROM PAPERBOARD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to articles made from paperboard or the like and, more particularly, to paperboard articles such as furniture especially suited for use by children.

2. The Prior Art I-Ieretofore, articles such as furniture formed from paperboard have not had sufficient strength to provide for long and useful life of the articles. The edges of the articles were substantially soft and flexible so that the article could not adequately support the necessary weights.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantage and provides for an article having improved strength characteristics so that the article may be used for extensive length of time and may support considerable weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, the article of furniture of this invention has a main tubular portion the ends whereof are closed by separate closure panels. The main portion and the closure panels have a plurality of flaps extending therefrom. These flaps are joined together by various attaching means to complete the article having reinforced edges and able to support substantial weight. If necessary, a separate article-reinforcing member, made of paperboard or the like, may be inserted into the article to increase its strength.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of one end closure panel embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the opposite end closure panel;

FIG. 3 illustrates a blank from which the interior articlesupporting member may be formed;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a blank from which the main tubular structure of the article is formed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially cutaway, of an article of furniture, such as a chair, made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view illustrating flap connections; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a completed article of fumi-. ture of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, more specifically to FIG. 7, there is shown an article of furniture, such as a chair, generally designated 10. The chair 10 is formed from three separate blanks of paperboard, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4.

A main load supporting portion of the article is defined by a blank 12 illustrated in FIG. 4. The blank 12 has a first panel 14 and a last panel 16 interconnected by a plurality of intermediate panels 18, 20, 22 and 24 of various illustrated configurations. Each of the panels of the blank 12 is joined to its adjacent panel along fold lines 26, all of the panel joining fold lines being designated by numeral 26.

A glue flap 28 is foldably secured to the panel 16 along a fold line 30.

In the construction of the article of furniture, such as the chair 10, the glue flap 28 is secured, by adhesive or the like, to a free edge of the panel 14 so as to form a tubular structure 31 best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7. It can be readily observed that the formed exemplary structure 31 has a total of six included angles, designated 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 37, respectively, the total angular value of which exceeds 360 with at least one of the included angles, such as angle 35, being greater than 180.

Each of the panels 14 through 24 have flaps 38 foldably attached to the sides thereof and extending outwardly therefrom. Each of said flaps 38 is hinged to its corresponding panel by a pair of spaced, parallel hinge lines 40 and 42, respectively. The distance between the hinge lines 40 and 42 substantially corresponds to the thickness of flaps extending from closure panels illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 hereinafter described.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there are shown closure panels 44 and 46, respectively. The edges of the closure panel 44 have flaps 48 foldably connected thereto by fold lines 50. The edges of the closure panel 46 have flaps 52, which are similar to the flaps 48, foldably attached thereto by fold lines 54.

In assembling the article and after the blank 12 has been formed into a tubular structure 31 as heretofore described, the closure panels 44 and 46 are placed within the open ends of the tubular structure. It will be noted that the closure panels 44 and 46 are configured to correspond to the cross section of the tubular structure.

In the final assembly, when the closure panels 44 and 46 close the ends of the tubular structure, the plane of these closure panels is positioned inboard of the edges of the panels 14-24 forming said tubular structure 31.

Once the closure panels have been properly positioned within the open ends of the structure, the flaps 48 and 52 are folded outwardly along their respective fold lines 50 and 54. The flaps 38, hinged to the panels 14-24 of the blank 12, are folded inwardly along their respective fold lines 40 and 42 so that the flaps 48 or 52 become interposed between the flaps 38 and the marginal edge areas of the panels 14-24 forming the tubular structure.

The marginal edge areas of the panels as well as the flaps 38, 48 and 52 are provided with suitable attaching means to releasably attach the flaps 48 or 52 to the marginal edge areas of the panels 14-24 and, further, to releasably secure the flaps 38 to the flaps 48 or 52. The attachment relationship heretofore described is best illustrated in FIG. 6.

In the exemplary embodiment described and shown herein, attaching means such as snaps 56 of the suitable male and female type, are attached to the flaps 38, 48 and 52 and to said edges of said panels of the structure 31.

Referring to FIG. 6 for further clarification of the attaching means heretofore described, it will be observed that the flap 48 of the closure panel 44 is inserted between the flap 38 of one of the panels of the structure 31, such as the panel 20, and retained in attached relationship by the attaching means 56. It will be seen that the space between hinge lines 40 and 42 is substantially equal to the thickness of the flap 48. g

If desired, a separate article-reinforcing member 60, best seen in FIG. 5, is formed from a suitably cut and scored blank 62 of paperboard or the like. To form the reinforcing member, the blank 62 is folded along the fold lines 64 to arrive at the configuration of the reinforcing member 60 shown in FIG. 5. Here, the member 60 has a pair of side panels 66 interconnected. by a top panel 68. The end panels 70 are foldably secured to the side panels 66 as shown in FIG. 3. The end panels 70 are folded outwardly along the fold lines 64 to provide end supports for the reinforcing member 60.

It can be readily observed from FIG. 7 that the assembled article of furniture, namely a chair, his at least one load-supporting surface such as the panel 14, while the panel 20 represents the ground-engaging surface of the article.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising:

a. amain load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fold lines to form a tubular structure; said tubular structure having:

i. included angles thereof exceeding a total of 360;

ii. at least one of the included angles being greater than iii. at least one load-supporting surface;

iv. at least one of the panels thereof being in ground en gagement;

c. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubularstructure;

d. the plane of each of said closure panels being inboard-of the edges of said panels forming said tubular structure;

e. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure and in a direction towards the edges of said tubular structure;

f. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels;

g. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines to embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels;

b. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels.

2. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising:

a. a main load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fold lines to form a tubular structure;

b. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubular structure;

c. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure;

. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels;

e. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines to embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels;

. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels.

3. An article of furniture is defined in claim 2, wherein the plane of eachof said closure panels is located inboard of the edges of said panels forming said tubular structure.

4. An article of furniture as defined in claim 2, wherein a separate, foldable reinforcing member is inserted into the interior of said article. I

5. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising:

a. a main load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fold lines to form a tubular structure;

b. said tubular structure having a plurality of included angles at least one of which is greater than c. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubular structure;

d. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure,

e. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels;

f. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines to embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels;

g. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels. 7

6. An article of furniture as defined in claim 5, wherein a separate reinforcing member is inserted into the interior of said article. 

1. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising: a. a main load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fOld lines to form a tubular structure; b. said tubular structure having: i. included angles thereof exceeding a total of 360*; ii. at least one of the included angles being greater than 180*; iii. at least one load-supporting surface; iv. at least one of the panels thereof being in ground engagement; c. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubular structure; d. the plane of each of said closure panels being inboard of the edges of said panels forming said tubular structure; e. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure and in a direction towards the edges of said tubular structure; f. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels; g. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines to embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels; h. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels.
 2. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising: a. a main load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fold lines to form a tubular structure; b. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubular structure; c. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure; d. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels; e. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines to embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels; f. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels.
 3. An article of furniture is defined in claim 2, wherein the plane of each of said closure panels is located inboard of the edges of said panels forming said tubular structure.
 4. An article of furniture as defined in claim 2, wherein a separate, foldable reinforcing member is inserted into the interior of said article.
 5. An article of furniture formed from a plurality of cut and scored blanks of paperboard or the like, comprising: a. a main load-supporting portion defined by a blank including first and last panels joined to one another along fold lines to form a tubular structure; b. said tubular structure having a plurality of included angles at least one of which is greater than 180*; c. said tubular structure having each of the ends thereof closed by a closure panel configured to correspond to the cross section of said tubular structure; d. each of said closure panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and extending along the inner faces of the panels constituting said tubular structure; e. each of the panels constituting said tubular structure having flaps extending therefrom defined by spaced parallel scored lines having a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to the thickness of the flaps extending from said closure panels; f. said flaps extending from said tubular structure panels being folded inward along said spaced fold lines tO embrace the flaps extending from said closure panels; g. means for joining said flaps extending from said panels constituting said tubular structure to the flaps extending from said closure panels.
 6. An article of furniture as defined in claim 5, wherein a separate reinforcing member is inserted into the interior of said article. 